Technology and ear piercings

Good News - we got our FAF $$ to buy hannah an ipad. The letter came today and DH was out the door to buy it this afternoon. She was so pleased when he got it home. Kept saying "Hannah has TWO ipods! Not Kit" Kit for his part was his usual fantastic self. I did explain to him later that the government had paid for the ipad - it was to help Hannah in Year 1. He didn't once wonder at why she got it and not him. We agreed that it could be used by everyone during the holidays but come school time - it is to help Hannah with all her Year 1 work (the ipod touch we got her for her birthday is for 'play') and any movies or such things will be taken off it. Kit was keen to look up ibooks for 'appropriate ones for Hannah' and 'one for me too!'
I remember when I got my ears peirced. It was 1976 (?) in Brisbane and they'd just started using the 'gun' so Mum and I went in to get ours done. My sisters had already had theirs done using the needle. I recall a fantastic day of mother - daughter closeness and sunshine. When we got back to our house we found out that my great-grandmother had died. (no mobile phones so we only found out when we got home) It marked the day forever in my memory because my Mum was so upset at losing her grandmother. Anyways let's just say that I am glad to have got through the day of Hannah's earpeircing.
Finally today Hannah got her ears pierced. SInce she was about 3 she'd play with my earrings and ask to have her own done too. I'd always smile and reply "When you are 6" thinking that that day was YEARS away! This year when she was asking my SIL volunteered to take her. HEr own daughter needed hers done - she would do both. I said so long as I didn't have to be anywhere near at the time and if she fainted - I wasn't to be told! And so the deal was struck. Today we trekked out west to get Hannah's ears pierced. Se was so excited it was gorgeous. I sat outside at a cafe. Didn't go anywhere near the beautician. Hannah came running out full of smiles and clutching a candy cane - so I can only say it went well. My SIL had the numbing spray and antiseptic spray - so different to in my day! in hand for me. Hannah chose red stones. very sweet. I wonder if my SIL will also taker her for her first tattoo - they are much more common now too...

Coffee and Christmas

A repeat photo - but posting as DH's interpretation of an Andy Warhol and so I put it on again...
After a successful visit to the ENT Hannah and I called in at Dolcetti for some morning tea. I couldn't justify getting a cappuccino but boy I really felt like one so... with a bit of googling and some luck I found a youtube 'how to' video that was perfect - and after 6 years (yes 6 YEARS - DH bought me the Rancilio for my birthday - the year that I spent my birthday in hospital with 1 day old twins in special care and green jelly for breakfast) I finally gave it a go - and might I say am very pleased with my efforts - I did it! And it turned out pretty good if I do say so myself!
My very first self made (??) cappuccino. Coffee courtesy of Cafe Biannchi and panforte (OMG it ROCKS!) courtesy of Dolcetti. Lovin' little Italy...
Check out the froth - it worked!
bubbacinos for my little inner west kids
Mama Bear and the two baby cubs...
The little Connisseur
Everyone at my house is on holidays now and so I play...
Me and the tree and iphotobooth

Style

I have read a number of posts by anxious parents of young children with ds - we worry about he 'haircut' - there is clearly a stereotypical 'special needs' bowl cut that we all dread. Well I have to say - not with pride necessarily - that i worry about the fashion version of the haircut. Hannah has her won unique style - and there is no getting around it. It isn't inner city chic or even emo - it just is - it's sort of like her version of Hi5, or perhaps a junior 'baglady'. Either way - it is adorable and horrifying (well it could be!) all at once. She sure has a way with colour but I am not so sure that wearing a minimum of 5 tops and 3 bottoms is ever going to take off as a fashion trend. Hannah's style is definite. It is unique. It is ghastly and shocking and adorable all at once. There is a part of me that hopes it is ever so...
a Santa keyring gifted by my other sister is the favourite necklace 'du jour'

Hanging the crocheted bag that her aunty (my sister) made for her
focus amidst the chaos
At least they're not on the floor while she changes outfits
Dressed for Greased Lightening....
See what i mean?

Guns

I confess to being mortified when I sat down about 4 weeks ago to help Hannah do her homework. This week one of the tasks was to write a letter to Santa. So unsuspectingly I asked Hannah: "What do you want Santa to bring you for Christmas, Hannah?" I got her to repeat her answer a few times although despite her poor intelligibility - I had heard it right - I just couldn't believe it and got her to repeat it a few times - but yes my sweet little princess, my delicate flower that i am so protective of, the little redheaded brat - wants a 'gun an' Dora costume'.
I was shocked, right to the bottom of middle class boots. It must be those naughty Italian boys that she is so fond of at school I declared to my husband. Even though I have to say in their defence that they might be wild but they are gorgeous and boy oh boy - they are just divine with little brat...
Driving home from work the other day I heard the tail end of Mitch Alum (?) speaking. Now I have heard all the hype about Tuesdays with Morrie but never really bothered with it. I was in tears listening to him speak. So many things struck a chord with me. He has a wonderfully poetic and self deprecating way of speaking. One thing he referred to was the 'only when your heart is broken is it whole' reference - and I have to say - it immediately made me think of when we got Hannah's diagnosis and our journey since. Such a life changing event. It doesn't sit right to say that it 'broke my heart' because she makes me so happy and proud today but it was certainly a shattering event where the walls crumbled down leaving DH and myself very exposed and vulnerable but somehow gloriously free. I think that is what parenting is like for most of us but especially if your child has special needs. So yes I do feel like my heart has changed with the birth of my twins but I still wouldn't say that it is broken simply that it is working bigger and better now...




PS I wonder if she'll be so tough when her Aunty takes her to get her ears pierced this week? She has been wanting them done since she was at least 3 and I always put her off saying "not until you are 6" Well, she's 6 now. My SIL has promised not to tell me if she faints...I'll be cowering nearby in a coffee shop.

Christmas concert

Peter Kearney sang with the school kids for our Christmas concert. My favourites were Do you hear what I hear? (sung with the kindys) and Lord of the Dance - but what child who went to any Catholic school in the 70s doesn't love that one? Anyway - it was a lovely night - really felt Christmassy for the first time so far. Hannah ended up (by fluke) being front and centre and did a great job next to her very gorgeous friend Anthony S who almost stole the show he was so cute. Kit luckily was at the end of the middle row - that boy never stands still - he fell off the stage twice! I am just glad he wasn't up the back row - cos he is quite tall - he would have toppled everyone down!
Sung in German and English... lovely
It is alway a mystery just where and with whom I will wake up at the moment. Last night it seems that I went to my own bed with DH only to wake up at about 4 with terrible stomach pains and Hannah in bed with me. A couple of hours later Kit came in for a cuddle too. Eventually I got up - only running a little bit late but feeling: pooped - that is the best way to describe us at the moment. I am so tired - just want everything to stop for a while but hey - I haven't even baked a Christmas cake let alone spring cleaned the linen closet, done all the present shopping, thought about the Christmas lunch. I have however worried about the bills...oh my this is an expensive time of year - so what did I do after this sleep in? Bought myself a new frock of course! Crazy aren't I?
Took a final photo for this post - Hannah after school crashed out on the bean bag for a good sleep - only forgot to put the camera card in - so will leave it to your imagination - needless to say - she is hanging on by a thread at the moment - she is exhausted.

Christmas Cheer

One of the best things that I think we did this year was to write a letter in Hannah's voice to the whole school community. It meant that parents chatted at the dinner table about disability with their kids. It meant that more parents felt comfortable coming up to me and asking questions. I got a lot saying how wonderful it was to get the letter. The principal also commented on all the positive feedback she got to it. Still on its own it was just a prompt - it is the generosity of so many of the families we have met this year that made it work so well. So this week, when I couldn't go tot he school swimming carnival because it was on one of my work days - I was thrilled to receive a text from one of the mums in the afternoon - a photo of little brat looking like she was having a ball. The text said that she was 'too cute' and had had a ball. Later in chatting with that Mum she had obviously been helping to keep an eye on Hannah cos she aid at one point the little bugger decided to run - and that she knew she wasn't meant to because she kept looking back and grinning at her! little bugger. then that night - emails from a different Mum of the kids in the pool - and a comment that Hannah was too gorgeous and that she had 'swum like little fish'. Did I mention how happy we are with the school the twins attend? Imagine what we could achieve with even a little bit of government funding to help - cos good intentions only go so far - aid time and teacher training/release time should be what Hannah is entitled to.... but the lack of government funding jars with my Christmas cheer so I will leave that monster sleeping ... for now...




We have made some wonderful friends this year at Kindy. On Friday night a group of us met to farewell one of our families who will be moving interstate next year. We had a blast. the kids swam, played, watched Christmas movies and crashed. the parents chatted and played and eventually had a bit of a singalong (or perhaps 'caterwaul' is more appropriate!). It was lots of fun. DH and I feel very lucky with the other kids and their families that we have met this year.
The kids asleep on the loungeroom floor - while their parents partied outside...
While all the kids were sleeping...Hannah was slicking her hair back .... with hand soap
Hannah - pinching Kit's soccer boots

Winners and Losers 2010

Last week I was chatting to a Dad I know about Christmas and the new year. He'd had a 'crap' year. We didn't get to go into detail cos we were all wrangling our kids - he has 2 gorgeous children and a wife who I admire and count on as a good friend. He did say that his bad year was partly his own fault and partly everything else - political, economic etc. At no point would I consider this man a 'loser' but in my weekend paper there is a supplement that includes an article that has the same title as this post. It caught my attention and then I came to the actual article. Talk about tacky!! So Kate Middleton is a 'winner' (hmmmnn not so sure about that one really...) and the people of Haiti are 'losers' ...Hmmnn no not the best use of the english language for mine - instead it comes across as ghoulish, meanspirited and sensationalist... Horrible article... they really should do better.

Just what is a 'loser' anyway? Is it someone who through no reason of their own doing suffers an unfortunate and unavoidable event? Is it my gorgeous son who swam last in one of his races at the recent swimming carnival? Is it the people who are too shallow to think carefully about just what it means to turn a person, a year into a 'winner' or a 'loser'? Is it us the readers cos the editor and journo thinks that that is the sort of people we are - ready to gloat at the 'unfortunate' and compete with the 'winners'?

Maybe it is a certain arrogant male who I work with who thinks it is perfectly acceptable to email the whole building his prejudices about the so called 'feminisation of physics' as if we give a toss, as if feminisation whatever the hell that is downgrades a subject - - Christmas cheer - bah Humbug...I'm tired of suffering idiots....

Reports

Here are some quotes from the twins reports:

"Hannah has made great progress in her reading and writing this year....Hannah has worked well in mathematics this year...Hannah has made fantastic progress in all Key Learning Areas and should be very proud of her achievements. She has really settled into the routine of school and has become enthusiastic about her learning....Hannah has been a pleasure to have in the classroom this year. Well done Hannah."

"Kit behaves in a compassionate way and is caring towards others...Kit has made pleasing progress in English this year...Kit has shown a really strong understanding of numbers...Kit is a happy and friendly student who always works to the best of his ability. He is a cooperative student who interacts and relates well with others. He needs to be commended for the consistent effort that he puts into his work. He has produced pleasing results in all subjects, especially his reading. It has been a pleasure to teach Kit..."

Bits and Pieces

Hannah made this Astroboy all by herself..
Hi5 after school
Classic Dress Ups
A round of golf
We all went to Hannah's last Rainbow CLub of the year.
7 swimming lessons in 6 days - she's going to turn into a fish soon!
Little brat loves ball games - on land and in water so it seems.
Kit made this nativity set on Friday after school with a little help from his Pop:
Hannah wanted to show her boyfriend her tattoo - she actually wanted to go and visit him to do so - we compromised on emailing his Mum a photo....